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Monday, 9 May 2011

The sign at Rovaniemi

If you're ever flying in to the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO), there is a reasonable chance that you'll actually land at Rovaniemi and then drive the rest of the way.

Rovaniemi is a town that lies more-or-less on the Arctic Circle itself. There is a small dual-use airport there and it is a popular gateway for tourists who visit Lapland.

Just outside the entrance to the airport is a huge timber sign. Made from the trunk of a dead tree, the 'branches' are signposts pointing in the directions of various major cities of the world and indicating the distances to them.

Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin...?

Well, I guess we'll forgive them. That sign went in before the LOFAR project was started. These days it should read: